Coin-controlled machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. LOHSAND COIN CONTROLLED MACHINE.

No. 559.534. Patented May 5, 1896.

' ANDREW B GRAHAM PHOTO-LUNG WASHINEWNDD 3 'sheets sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. LOHSAND.-

00m CONTROLLED MACHINE.

No; 559,534. Patented May 5,1896.

B GRAHAM.FNOTO-UWO WAQIHNGTOPLD Cv 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(N0 Mpdel.)

E. LOHSAND.

00m CONTROLLED MACHINE.

No; 559,534. Patented May 5, 1896.-

fizvezin fineszl0ijfy,

NITED STATES ERNEST LOIISAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,534, dated May 5,1896.

Application filed February 18, 1896. $eria1 No. 579,750. (No model.)

have invented a new and useful Improvement 1n Coin-Controlled Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of machines adaptedto be operated to deliver articles they contain by inserting coins intothe machines.

My object is to provide improved mechanism for controlling the deliveryirrespective of the nature of the article to be delivered by it or ofthe particular method of discharging it out of the machine. I haveespecially devised, however, as a feature to be used with myimprovement, means for forcibly throwing out the article purchased byinserting a coin into the machine, and the preferred form for thisdischarging mechanism, by reason of its novelty, is that of a cannon,into which the article may be fed, after inserting the coin, bywithdrawing a sprin g-plunger to admit the z 5 article and thereupondischarge it by the recoil of the spring.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalview of my improved machine, taken at the line 1 on Fig.

0 2 and viewed in'the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 2, a section taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in thedirection of the arrow; Fig. 3, a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 1and viewed in the direction of the arrow, and

3 5 Fig. 4 a broken section taken at the line 4 on Fig. 2 and viewed inthe direction of the arrow.

A is the case, shown as rectangular in shape, though it may involve anydesired shape and be formed of any suitable material.

In the case I show a false bottom 1", affording a compartment, which issubdivided by a partition q into the compartments 1) and p, and the base0" of the case is extended beyond 5 its front side to support a drawer19 under a cover 19 and which should be provided with a suitable lock.Each compartment 13 and 19 may also contain a drawer. (Not shown.) Abovethe drawer 29 at the front of the case,

is supported on a hollow base 13 and in upright position a tubular body,preferably in a form to represent a cannon B, or the like, in

the side of which is a feed-opening 0, and through the base of whichextends a plungerrod n, terminating at its lower end in a hook or catchn within the base B, and at its upper end in a plunger n within the boreof the cannon, the plunger-rod being controlled by a spring 12 confinedbetween the plunger and base of the bore.

O is a feed trough or chute supported in the upper portion of the case Ato incline in a downward direction from its rear side through an opening0 in the front side of the case, and which coincides with the opening 0in the side of the bore of the cannon, and adjacent to the opening 0 thetrough is cov ered for a short distance by a backwardly tapering hood 0.

D is the operating-lever, fulcrumed at one end, as shown at as, insidethe case A and eX- tending thence out of the case through a verticalslot m in its front side and through a vertical slot m in the front sideof the hollow base B, the lever being supported by a spring Z, whichoperates to return it to its normal position when depressed. On astandard E, supported in the case, is fulcrumed between its ends thelever D, from one end of which depends a yoke to loosely surround thelever D, and from the opposite end of which there extends a stop t'upward through. a slot o in the base of the trough 0 into the path ofthe articles F therein, hereinafter described. Above the lever D isfulcrumed between its ends on the standard E another lever D connectedat one end by a depending link h with the lever D and carrying at itsopposite end a stop 2', which projects upward into the trough through aslot 1; in its base. The lever D, moreover, has pivotally connected withita stop 2' which projects upward into the trough through a slot '0 inits base, and near the front side of the case there extends upward fromthe lever D a pivotal stop '5 through a depending guide extension t,which opens into the base of the trough or chute.

G is the insertion-slot, shown to be provided in the front side of thecase, on the rear surface of which side are provided the coin-chute H,which discharges at its lower end into the compartment 19', thecoin-chute H, which passes at its lower end through the front side ofthe case to discharge into the IOO drawer p and the coin-chute H whichdischarges at its lower end into the compartment 19. A lever I, carryingat one end a weight g, is pivoted between its ends at so to the rearside of the front of the case to extend at its opposite end, which isformed wit-h a socket f, into alinement with the inlet-opening orcoin-duct G, leading downward from the insertion-slot; and the socketend of the weighted lever is adjacent to the inlet end of the chute Hand adjacent to the are through which this socket end is adapted to beswung downward are the inlet ends of the chutes H and H The chute I1 isprovided to receive coins of smaller denomination than is required asthe purchase-price of the article to be delivered by the machine, suchas pennies, a penny being, accordingly, too light to overcome the weightg and depress the socket end of the lever I. When, therefore, a penny isinserted into the slot G, it enters the lever-socket f, which inclinesat its base toward the inlet of the chute ll and the penny rolls intothe penny-chute. The chute H is provided to receive coins of the properdenomination for the purchase-price of the article to be delivered, suchas nickels, and the gravity of the weight g is such that when a nickelis inserted into the slot G and falls into the socket f it will overcomethe weight and tilt the lever 1 sufficiently to discharge the coin intothe mouth of the chute H. The chute H is provided to receive spuriousarticles heavier than coins of the denomination representing thepurchase-price of the article, such as disks of lead, one of which, whenit is inserted into the slot G and falls into the socket fovercomes theweight g to tilt the lever I sufficiently to direct the coin substituteinto the mouth of the chute H It is only a coin which enters the chute Hwhich can render the machine operative to deliver an article F, sinceadjacent to the slot m in the front side of the case is so fulcrumed asubstantially L-shaped lever K that one arm normally extends across theslot in the downward path of the lever D, While the other arm projectsinto the chute l-l,through its side, into the path of the coin.Accordingly,unless the proper'coin (indicated at L in Fig. 2)v bedropped into the chute H the leverD cannot be depressed, owing to theobstructing-arm of the stop or lever K in its path; but the weight ofthe coin against the arm of the lever it encounters in the chute H issufficient to turn that lever on its fulcrum and withdraw the armnormally in the path of the operating-lever D from the slot m, when theoperating-lever may be depressed without obstruction until it strikes alever I, fulcrumed at x on the front side of the case to extend acrossthe base of the slot on into the path of the coin L in the chute H, andcarryinga weight g at its opposite end. Not until the lever D encounters(it being depressed) the lever I can the coin escape from the chute H,but

when it does so encounter the lower weighted lever it depresses the endof the latter, which normally obstructs the coin-passage and turns itout of the way of the coin to permit the latter to continue its courseto the drawer 19 into which, accordingly, the coin cannot drop till thelever D shall have been properly actuated.

The effect of depressing the operating-lever D is, by engagement withthe hook n on the plunger-rod n, to lower the plunger 01 past the baseof the opening 0 and permit an article ,F to roll or fall into the boreof the cannon B on top of the plunger, and when the operator, in thusdepressing the lever D, upon having inserted the proper coin L into themachine, causes the beveled side of the hook at, which is resilientlyheld straight by a spring W", to engage a deflecting stop a in the pathof the hook the plunger is released to permit the recoil of the spring ato throw the article out of the end of the bore some distance into theair, where it may in falling be caught by the purchaser.

The articles F are represented as balls, and it is my primary intentionthat they shall be hollow sectional balls affording boxes for containingcandy or the like, though they need not be of ball shape, as they may beeggshaped, star-shaped, or of other suitable shape, and it is notnecessary, so far as the invention in my improved machine is concerned,that they be boxes at all, as they may be articles to be vended in anydesired form.

The stops 11 and t are in the nature of stirrers so arranged to workthrough the base of the feed-chute O that when the lever D is actuatedthey will be reciprocated through or between the articles F in a mannerto loosen them should they become clogged or packed.

The arrangement of the stops t" and i prevents more than one of thearticles F at a time from being fed to the bore of the device B or outof the chute 0 when the lever D is depressed. Thus on depressing underthe conditions described the operating-lever D the stop 1' is loweredout of the path in the chute to permit an article F to roll through theopenings 0 and 0; but as this stop descends the depression of the leverD effects raising of the end of the lever D carrying the stop 1', whichis accordingly raised into the path of the article behind the first oneand stops the fiow while the operatinglever is depressed, while when itis released and resumes its normal condition the stop 1' affords theobstructing medium for the articles in the chute O.

In front of the slot m and suspended on the lever D to move with it Ishow a guard-plate d for covering the slot below the lever to preventaccess through the slot to the interior mechanism with any instrument bymeans of which the stop K might be moved without inserting a coin forthe purpose.

The mechanism for controlling the discharge of the articles from thecase A may be used to advantage without providing any ITO ITS

means, such as the cannon representation B, for throwing them out. HenceI do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to theemployment of ejecting means.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with the inclosing casehaving an outlet for the articles to be delivered, of a chute for saidarticles leading to said outlet, a coinchute, an operating-lever, a stopnormally projecting into the path through said articlechute andcontrolled by the operating-lever, and a stop normally extending intothe path of the operating-lever and into the path through saidcoin-chute, whereby the weight of a coin in its chute withdraws saidstop from obstructing said operating lever, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a coincontrolled machine, the combination with the inclosing-casehaving an outlet for the articles to be delivered, of a chute for saidarticles leading to said outlet, a coinchute, an operating-lever, stopscontrolled by operating said lever alternately to project into the paththrough said article-chute at different points therein, and a stopnormally extending into the path of the operating-lever and into thepath through said coin-chute, whereby the weight of a coin in its chutewithdraws said stop from obstructing said operating-lever, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with the inclosing casehaving an outlet for the articles to be delivered, of a chute O for saidarticles leading to said outlet, a coin-chute, a spring-controlledoperating-lever D extending at one end through a slot in the case, astandard E in the case, a lever D fulcrumed on said standard and havingat one end a yoke connection with the operating-lever and carrying atits opposite end a stop 1' projecting upward through the base of saidchute C, a lever D fulcrumed on said standard and connected at one endwith the operating-lever and carrying at its opposite end a stop 11projecting upward through the base of said chute 0, stops 1' and 71extending upward from the operating-lever through said chute-base, and alever K fulcrumed to extend normally into the path of the operatingleverthrough said slot and into the path through said coin-chute,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4.. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with the inclosingcase having an outlet for the articles to be delivered and acoininsertion slot leading to a coin-duct, of a chute for said articlesleading to said outlet, an operating-lever extending through a slot inthe case, coin-chutes having their inlet ends adjacent to the dischargeend of said duct, a lever I weighted at one end and fulcrumed to extendat its opposite end between said coin-duct and said inlet ends of thecoinchutes, a stop-lever K fulcrumed to extend normally into the path ofthe operating-lever in said slot and into the path through one of saidchutes, and a lever I fulcrumed to extend at one end across the path ofsaid operating-lever into the path through said chute into which saidstopdever projects, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a coin-controlled machine, the combi nation with the inclosingcase having an outlet for the articles to be delivered, of a chute forsaid articles leading to said outlet, a coinchute, an operating-lever, astop normally extending into the path of the operating-lever and intothe path through said coin-chute, and an ejector device communicatingwith said outlet and operatively connected with said lever,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with the inclosing casehaving an outlet for the articles to be delivered, of a chute for saidarticles leading to said outlet, a coinchute, an operating-lever, a stopnormally extending into the path of the operating-lever and into thepath through said coin-chute, and an ejector-device having a tubularcham ber communicating with said outlet and containing aspring-controlled plunger having its rod engaged by saidoperating-lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A coin-controlled'machine comprising, in combination, the caseAcontaininga chute 0 leading to an outlet in the case, a coin-insertionslot G leading to a coin-duct G, coinchutes H, H and H a weighted leverI fulcrumed to control the introduction of the coin or other token intoone or the other of said coin-chutes, an operating-lever D extendingthrough a slot in said case and carrying stops projecting into the paththrough said chute O, a stop-lever K fulcrumed to extend normally intothe path of said lever and into the chute II, a lever I fulcrumed toextend past said slot below the lever and into the chute H, and acannon-like ejector device 13 communicating at its base with saiddeliveryoutlet and containing a spring controlled plunger with which theoperating-lever engages toward its outer end, the whole beingconstructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

ERNEST LOHSAND.

In presence of- M. J. FROST, J. H. LEE.

